2026 Mazda CX-5 review - A misguided reboot

Mitchell Weitzman
8 hours ago
5 min read

The CX-5 has separated itself from its similar CX-50 sibling, but not in a good way

2026 Mazda CX-5 review by The Road Beat

Words and pictures: Mitchell Weitzman

The Mazda CX-5 may have been due for a rethink, but this is not what I had in mind. Not to say the refreshed CX-5 is a total dud, but it’s an unfortunately misguided update that leaves the crossover in an even more questionable position than before. Some of its best qualities have been removed, while several weak points remain unresolved.

On the whole, the 2026 CX-5 feels like a former standout midsize crossover compromised by a reboot led by boardroom decision-making.

Picks

Mazda wisely resisted over-styling the exterior. The refreshed CX-5 receives only minor sharpening to the details, like the sleeker lights front and rear, yet remains one of the better-looking crossovers on sale with a level of restraint and maturity many rivals lack. Differences are subtle, and most might think the outside is exactly the same at first glance, but that's not an issue at all.

Inside, however, the CX-5 looks dramatically different — more on that later — but the sense of quality remains excellent. For the money, few mainstream rivals offer this much soft-touch material or this much genuine premium feel throughout the cabin. The dashboard, doors, and switchgear all continue to punch above their price point. Again, Mazda continues to surprise in their luxury ambitions when you compare to other mainstream crossovers from around the rest of the globe.

2026 Mazda CX-5 S Premium Plus exterior rear three quarter

Where most commercial crossovers prioritize numb isolation over driver enjoyment, Mazda still understands the value of engagement. Around town and on the highway, the CX-5 feels refined and composed, but point it toward one of the many winding backroads here in El Dorado County and it genuinely feels alive.

The steering is sharp, body control is excellent, and the chassis remains surprisingly neutral for a practical family crossover that allows you to toss it from side to side without hesitation. Grip from the front end stays strong even when pushed hard into corners, and quick direction changes reveal a level of balance and eagerness most competitors simply do not possess.

It’s not just that the CX-5 is good to drive — it’s enjoyable to drive.

Fuel economy from the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter “S” powertrain is also respectable for a non-hybrid setup. Over the course of a week, the CX-5 averaged 28 MPG overall while occasionally flirting with 30 MPG with more highway running. A hybrid model arrives later, but the efficiency here is already solid without electric assistance.

Nicks

As pointed out earlier, the biggest changes are found inside, but not all of them are for the better. While material quality remains as impressive as always, Mazda has followed the industry trend of replacing tactful controls with an oversized touchscreen dominating the dashboard.

On Premium Plus trims, the display measures a massive 15.6 inches diagonally, making it one of the largest screens fitted to any new car. Unfortunately, Mazda also removed nearly all physical controls that once were -including climate - and even integrated functions like volume adjustment into the touchscreen itself.

While the system is quick and responsive, that doesn’t make it pleasant to use. Everyday tasks now require digging through menus instead of relying on tactile knobs and switches you can operate by feel. Worse still, the sheer size of the screen places certain touch points awkwardly far from the driver, requiring you to lean forward and reach while driving.

2026 Mazda CX-5 center console and shifter

Currently, the only available engine available in the CX-5 is the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder, as Mazda has eliminated the previously available turbocharged option entirely. A hybrid arrives next year, but for now this is all buyers get, and it’s a major downgrade from the old turbo model despite the commendable fuel economy.

Yes, it’s efficient, but it’s also coarse, noisy, and very slow. With just 187 horsepower and 186 lb-ft of torque, the CX-5 is considerably underpowered, but worse than the lack of speed is the awful sound made by the weak internal combustion engine. Even moderate acceleration fills the cabin with a strained, weedwhacker-like groan that quickly becomes irritating. I called the CX-5 enjoyable to drive earlier, but that fades each time the engine makes the same dreaded racket.

2026 Mazda CX-5 Premium Plus S exterior rear three quarter during sunset

Mazda also continues to struggle with poorly calibrated electronic parking brake systems. Sometimes the brake activates automatically when parked, and sometimes it doesn’t, yet it never releases itself consistently the way many competitors’ systems do.

The most frustrating behavior occurred during cold starts at home. The tenacious parking brake — which I never manually engaged since I park on a flat plot — would remain active even after shifting into Drive, causing the vehicle to awkwardly squat against the engaged brake before finally releasing with a prod of the throttle. It’s a small annoyance, but one that feels unnecessarily clumsy in a modern vehicle. And as I said, no other cars besides Mazda exhibit this strange behavior.

A Mazda that cannot be recommended

For only the second time in Road Beat history, this is a Mazda that simply cannot be recommended. And it's not because it's a bad car necessarily, but it isn't that good of a Mazda.

The CX-5 still handles exceptionally well and continues to offer an interior that feels far more expensive than its price tag suggests. But Mazda removed one of the vehicle’s defining strengths — the punchy turbocharged engine — and replaced it with a coarse naturally aspirated powertrain that feels out of place in a premium-leaning crossover.

At the same time, the new touchscreen-heavy interior solves no real problems while introducing several frustrations of its own.

There was genuine potential for Mazda to better separate the CX-5 from the CX-50, but instead the CX-5 now feels both less distinctive and less appealing than before. It may cost a slightly less than a comparable CX-50, but as it stands, this once-excellent crossover no longer seems entirely sure of what it wants to be. Plus, you can get a CX-50 as a hybrid right now if you desire.

2026 Mazda CX-5 2.5 S Premium Plus